Internet Word of the Day Archive

April 01, 2013

A link on your Web site to another page on your Web site.

On A Totally Unrelated Subject

April 02, 2013

Derived from the first letters of a phrase, acronyms are meant to make the phrase easier to say and remember. With an acronym, the first letter of each word makes up a new word that is, in fact, pronounceable (for example, SNAFU is pronounced "sna-foo" and WOMBAT is pronounced "wahm-bat").

Acronyms have been an integral part of computer culture, and many originated in the military and government sectors. The use of acronyms grew rapidly on the Internet and created a new lingo, known as shorthand. Shorthand, also known as alphabetism, is when you say the letters one-by-one and not pronounce it as a word (for example, FYI is pronounced "F-Y-I" and BRB is pronounced "B-R-B"), and an initialism is when you reduce a word to it's initial letter (such as v for very).

One of the reasons why acronyms and shorthand became so popular so quickly in the online world is because they are fun to use and because they take less time and effort to type. If you are texting, [instant messaging|IMing] or chatting, it is often quicker and easier to type a few well-known letters than to spell out the whole phrase. And for some millenials, it's considered kewl to communicate in a lingo that not everyone knows (even though other generations use acronyms too ;-)

There are, of course, exceptions. For example, some acronyms go both ways (such as FAQ, which can be pronounced "fak" or "F-A-Q"). It should also be noted that acronyms are generally typed IN ALL CAPS (not to be confused with SHOUTING) whereas some forms or shorthand are typed in a lowercase see some lowercase examples here.

For the largest list of Internet acronyms and text message shorthand, click on "more info" below!

Bug Off -or- Body Odor

April 03, 2013

The era of history when computers became popular with the masses and knowledge workers outnumbered factory workers. It is generally agreed upon that mankind has progressed from the agricultural age to the industrial age to the information age. One aspect of the information age is the convergence of computers and telecommunications. An example of progression into the information age is the ability for entrepreneurs, business people, and investors to make more money than ever before in the history of business.

We Can't Make This Sh** Up

April 04, 2013

A newsgroup is a forum for sharing information. Each one is an area on the Internet that allows users to post messages and reply to other users.

It is an online discussion forum similar to that found on local BBSs, but you need a newsreader in order to participate. Segmented into many different subjects (approximately 25,000), newsgroups have titles that usually begin with a three- or four-letter prefix followed by a dot ("."). For example, alt., soc., comp., misc., rec., and sci. are some of the most popular ones.

For the largest list of Internet acronyms and text message jargon, click on "more info" below!

Big Dumb Company -or- Big Dot Com

April 05, 2013

The specific release of a software or hardware product, usually designated by a number. You may see a version number abbreviated as V2.0, for example, to indicate the second version. If you see V2.5, the software may be a beta version that's been released for testing prior to V3.0. There is a general consensus that programs aren't quite right until the third release.

Are You OK?

April 06, 2013

A media file within a presentation or Web page (such as part of a movie or song).

Intense Text Sex

April 07, 2013

Slang for the thin coat of dirt on your computer screen.

Very Well Played

April 08, 2013

The video display unit (or VDU) that sits on your desktop and serves as your computer screen.

Call To Action

April 09, 2013

Slang for a person with a closed mind.

I Love My Job

April 10, 2013

An online ad that consists of a text-based hyperlink. Commonly seen in e-newsletters and in the footers of Web sites. For example, if you scroll down on this page, the "NetLingo Partners" section is a series of text ads.

In My Point Of View

April 11, 2013

Young Urban Professionals

Slang for the Twitter universe, it stands for the community of Twitter users and their collective voice.

The twitterverse, like the blogosphere, has created a cornucopia of new online jargon including:

• tweeps - Twitter followers, someone's Twitter peeps as in people
• tweetup - A meetup (organized or impromptu gathering) of people that use Twitter
• twitt - A newbie (or an insignificant, bothersome person) using Twitter
• twitterati - Twitter power users, the tweet elite whose feeds attract thousands of followers
• twitterature - Classic literature in tweets
• retweet - Copying and posting another person's Twitter content
• twibe - A group of Twitter users interested in a common topic
• sweeple - Sweet Twitter people
• tweepish - Feeling sheepish or regretful about something you tweeted
• tweetaholic - A person addicted to tweeting
• twittermob - A flash mob formed as a result of sharing information on Twitter
• twitterhea - Feeling compelled to tweet constantly about every meaningless thing you do
• twalker - One who "stalks" others on Twitter in the sense that he or she doesn't post tweets but rather just reads them and therefore lurks like a troll
• tweckling - One who "heckles" via Twitter, most commonly seen at conferences or town halls 

Twitter is a microblogging tool to tell loyal followers what you're doing at any given time, in 140 characters or less. The twitterverse expanded quickly, as many social networking type sites tend to do, and businesses jumped on board using it as part of the business strategy to gain exposure for wide range of brands.

April 12, 2013

A classroom experiment in which students create their own currency, postal service, court system, businesses, and government. Its purpose is to teach kids how to be leaders, what a paying job means, and why it is important to be held accountable. It is a consensus-based model in which teachers and students create a common set of expectations and students are financially rewarded for leadership skills.

Age/Sex/Location

April 13, 2013

Did I Tell You I'm Distressed

Slang for clicking "helter skelter" around an interactive computer screen in search of hidden buttons that might trigger actions. (Found in the manual to the CD-ROM game Myst.)

April 14, 2013

A buzzword used in the industry to indicate that a particular company's product or service is the quickest, best, and most affordable solution.

Just For Today

April 15, 2013

A printed copy of some kind of information (as opposed to an electronic version). You'll hear someone ask, "Do you have a hard copy of that?" The opposite is known as a soft copy.

You Are Welcome

April 16, 2013

Google finds over 250,000 web pages that refer to "nigritude ultramarine", a phrase that translates roughly into "dark blue." This strange phrase appeared in many blogs and Web sites in 2004 as the result of a search engine marketing challenge.

No Action, Talk Only

April 17, 2013

A type of AI (artificial intelligence) that attempts to imitate the way the human brain works. Rather than using a digital model (in which all computations manipulate zeros and ones), a neural network creates connections between processing elements (the computer equivalent of neurons). The organization and weights of the connections determine the output, so neural networks are particularly effective for predicting events when networks have a large database of prior examples to draw on.

Neural networks are typically implemented on non-digital computers, but they can be simulated on digital computers. The field of neural networks was pioneered in the 1950's by Bernard Widrow of Stanford University.

Historical perspective: There are very few commercial applications of neural networks, but the approach is proving useful in certain areas, such as voice recognition, that involve recognizing complex patterns. For example, AOL has used a neural network filtering system to power its parental control options.

Sitting In Chair Laughing

April 18, 2013

The ability of a browser to recognize and interpret certain codes in HTML or other languages. For example, Netscape Navigator 1.0 did not have the ability to render a page layout in frames. This feature did not come along until version 2.0; therefore, Navigator 1.0 did not "support" frames.

I See What You Mean

April 19, 2013

A secure private network that uses the public telecommunications infrastructure to transmit data. In contrast to a much more expensive system of owned or leased lines that can only be used by one company, VPNs are used by enterprises for both extranets and wide area intranets. Using encryption and authentication, a VPN encrypts all data that passes between two Internet points, maintaining privacy and security. In order to take advantage of a VPN service, you will need a static IP number, a dedicated connection to the Internet, and a router (or switch) that supports VPN protocol. The Automotive Network Exchange (ANX) is an example of a VPN.

E-Mail Message

April 20, 2013

Created by a Web server or proxy server, it is a file that records each server action in response to user requests. Since raw log files are difficult to interpret manually, analysis software is used to extract useful information.

For a link to a Web site log analysis company click on the link below!

Busting My Gut With Laughter

April 21, 2013

To Be Or Not To Be

The name given to a revolutionary new medical technique which surgically alters a patient's thumbs to better use handheld devices. Case in point: A Colorado man (who is considered a big guy) had a hard time using the features on ever-shrinking user interfaces like his iPhone, that is until he "whittled" his thumbs down.

Doctors explain that this is turning plastic surgery from something people use in service of vanity, to a real tool for improving workplace efficiency. The procedure involves making a small incision into both thumbs and shaving down the bones, followed by careful muscular alteration and modification of the fingernails (see also: fat finger).

April 22, 2013

The name for a person who attacks network traffic by modifying the contents of other peoples' messages.

something

April 23, 2013

The four basic design inks used to create a full spectrum of color on a printed page.

Speaking Of Which -or- Statement Of Work

April 24, 2013

A "hijacker" is a type of spyware designed by certain online publishers that allow them to snoop on your browsing activity, invade your privacy, and flood you with those annoying pop-up ads.

A few of the symptoms are:
* Changing your "search" page to THEIR "pay-per-click" search page
* Changing your default homepage to another page (often porn sites)
* Transmitting Web sites you have viewed to their company servers

Increasingly, most users on the Internet are infected with these applications which are also transmitted via Trojans, worms, malicious cookies, and keyloggers.

The solution is to download a program to help rid your computer of these online pests. For more info about hijackers, spyware, adware and the like, click on the "more info" button below!

Electronic Emission

April 25, 2013

An Internet standard developed for managing nodes on an IP network. SNMP is a widely used network-monitoring protocol that's supported on most major platforms. It manages and monitors all sorts of network equipment (including computers, routers, and hubs) by passing data from SNMP agents to workstations, reporting activity in each network device. SNMP 2 provides enhanced security and continuous feedback.

Old Fart At Play

April 26, 2013

Any single letter, number, or symbol that you can type, such as Q or 8 or @ or forward slash (/) or back slash ().

For a listing of regular computer keyboard key explanations, click on the "more info" button below!

Pardon My Jumping In

April 27, 2013

When a modem fails to hang up or when a computer fails to respond, it is said to be hung.

Too Darn Many

April 28, 2013

A start-up ISP's offer of no-cost Internet access. It is able to do this because it pays backbone service providers very low fees for dial-up connections. The logic is that if a large number of users signs up, the ISP will attract advertising revenue that offsets connection and other overhead costs.

Til Our Paths Cross Again

April 29, 2013

Yet Another

Traditionally it was a system that allows online advertisers to manage multiple ad campaigns through one interface. Real time bidding for display online ads takes place within the ad exchanges, and by utilizing a DSP, marketers can manage their bids for the banners and the pricing for the data that they are layering on to target their audiences. It is also used for trading desks to grab inventory.

SSP refers to supply-side platform.

April 30, 2013

A reply to a newsgroup posting.

I Have Another Instant Message